Blogging is fast becoming a national pastime among Saudi Arabia's youth, according to report in regional daily Asharq Al-Awsat. In a country where traditional media is monitored by the state, young Saudi Arabians are able to using the internet to air their views about political, social and economic issues. But freedom is restricted. Blogs, like websites, are blocked if they contain "objectionable material", says Dr Suliman Merdad, deputy governor of the Saudi communication and information technology commission. (Via ITP.net)